Archive for April 16th, 2010

Earth Day 2010 is less than a week away and to commemorate the 40th anniversary DisneyNature decided to release its new film Oceans. In partnership with the Nature Conservancy they’re doing something rather spectacular for the entire opening week (from April 22 – 28th) and have committed to donate $0.20 for every ticket purchased towards the Conservancy’s marine protected area project in the Bahamas.

Bahamian reefs are some of the healthiest within the wider Caribbean and deserve protection for a number of reasons. They have been identified in several studies as an ideal location for a larger marine protected area (MPA) and even the Mission Blue project included them in their list of Hope Spots.

Alongside release of the film there is, of course, several website resources going up, including a short list of five suggested actions for the public to benefit our oceans:

I’m all for getting messages out to the public as widely as possible, and Disney certainly has the kind of influence we need to spread awareness. I am excited to see two chefs take on the challenge of preparing delicious – but still sustainable – suggestions for seafood including Dan Barber whom I’ve highlighted previously on WaterNotes.

That said, I’m worried that the simplified changes suggested above won’t be enough to really get people who see Oceans motivated to make a real commitment to living ocean friendly lives. I have to remember that any attempt to gain interest in change – without going overboard – is probably a good thing overall for conservation messages. I just wonder if perhaps our attempts are too simple, and not enough to garner real attention or commitment.

What do you think? Have I been reading TreeHugger, Discovery, Grist, EWG, and all the others too much? Is this a perfect level to introduce to people for ocean friendly living? Or is it possible that we could be launching something more with this enormous campaign potential presented by a pivotal film release by Disney?

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